Raj Kamble will pay to pitch for an account but…

Raj Kamble and Mithila Saraf of Famous Innovations believe they have created something remarkable during the last decade that saw brands choose social media, internet penetration deepen, and consumer preferences in India change. 

The duo claim that Famous Innovations tried to stay true to the basic principles of advertising and adopted long-term strategic thinking coupled with innovations to help brands stand out in a cluttered marketplace. 

The result? An agency that claims to come with a premium price tag, and clients including Raymond, Zudio, Ampere Electric Mobility, and Adidas (social media), among others. 

Known for his candid opinions, founder and CCO Kamble speaks with afaqs! about the challenges in today's ad landscape. He is joined by CEO Saraf and Sumit Chaurasia, founding partner and head of the Delhi office.

Edited excerpts: 

When you started out 10 years ago, what did you hope to accomplish? Have you achieved everything that you envisioned? 

Kamble: We were ahead of the curve for not having the word advertising in our name. When we chose the name Famous Innovations, people often wondered if we’d venture into product development. Innovations, our last name, is the foundation of the company. We want to innovate in marketing, advertising, writing, and design. We foster a culture of innovation here.

Ten years on, I am very satisfied with what we have achieved. 

How do you foster innovation?

Kamble: Our campaign brief concludes with the question: How can we solve the problem in an unconventional way? We try to make an idea tangible for brands. 

As part of a 2014 Master's Imperial Whisky campaign, we launched a book called A Little Book of Third Drink Philosophy as a surrogate advertisement. The book was a compilation of the profound ideas that people tend to spout after the third drink. For a 2020 campaign for the stationery brand DOMS, we designed a paintbrush specifically for foot painters—those without upper limbs who paint with their feet.

Are marketers giving agencies the freedom to create innovative work?

Kamble: Marketers increasingly understand the value of creativity, but sadly they often try to control it. They need to allow creative folks to work their magic. They should complement the creativity of the agency, not control it. An agency is only as good as its clients. 

Memes, influencer collaborations, and quirky content are passing off as eye-catching advertising these days… 

Saraf: The compulsion to post 50-60 times a month on social media handles is at the root of the problem. Brands typically use trendy topics to boost engagement without considering whether they fit their brand.

Moreover, hundreds of digital agencies, employing 400-500 people, are consistently producing such content. These agencies, which employ 25-year-olds to create content, rarely produce anything unique. Both the agency and the brand are satisfied as long as they meet every trend.

Thus, fewer conversations are about brand-impacting work. Agencies cater to this paradigm, and clients are delighted; therefore both are to blame.  

These days you see a lot of young brands sign off on memes for ads, or viral trends. Yet, there are traditional brands that might not approve of edgy or risky ideas. What can brand managers at legacy brands learn from startup marketing teams?

Chaurasia: LinkedIn has skewed our idea of virality, which may turn it into the Orkut of our times. Just because 300 of your colleagues or college alumni liked a piece of work, it doesn't make it viral. We are trapped in an echo chamber, endlessly patting ourselves on the back. 

Unfortunately, this trend is not limited to start-ups; even brand managers of legacy companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, but this doesn't build businesses or personal careers. Overusing 'viral' stunts will backfire, just like any overindulgence, and we'll see it soon.  

Both the agency and the brand are satisfied as long as they meet every trend. Thus, fewer conversations are about brand-impacting work. Agencies cater to this paradigm, and clients are delighted; therefore both are to blame.  

Mithila Saraf

We are thriving on nostalgia now. Some brands are revisiting old jingles and ads. Why have ads made in the last decade not left any lasting impact? 

Saraf: D2C brands pioneered performance-led advertising. They sold brands, not built them. Today's D2C founders would concede that Meta and Google have made the brand dependent on them and that customer acquisition costs are growing. These brands relied on push advertising, and cost of acquisition rises in the absence of a pull factor. 

D2C companies are now asking for our help to build their brands from scratch. Funnily, traditional brands caught up with this wave a little late and they are still in the phase that the instant conversion they are seeing is enough. 

Eventually they will also realise that the more they rely on tech companies, the more those companies will squeeze them. And that they will have to go back to the basics. 

Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, but this doesn't build businesses or personal careers. Overusing 'viral' stunts will backfire, just like any overindulgence, and we'll see it soon.  

Sumit Chaurasia

In recent years, a new wave of independent agencies led by creative professionals have emerged, aiming to introduce innovative pricing models and a fresh advertising approach.

Kamble: Big networks are obsolete. Now is the time for creative entrepreneurs to lead the ad world. Only entrepreneurship can transform our sector. Big networks are under pressure to charge clients differently. They also have to report to overseas bosses who want a third of their profits. 

In India, international network names are meaningless. I even think Ogilvy India would be bigger if it were renamed Piyush Pandey Advertising.

What’s your vision for the next 3-4 years if not the next decade?

Saraf: Famous Innovations was founded to do more than traditional advertising. Thus, we launched an entertainment branch this year. We are creating OTT shows, music videos, and other stuff. People watch more content than ever, but not as many ads. Back when there were fewer shows and films, people watched and discussed commercials. 

We also want to explore experiences and IPs. Now we want to formalise and undertake such work through the year. 

Customer experience is another priority. We are working with a New York agency on this and plan to introduce this partnership to India soon. 

So you have some acquisitions planned in the near future?

Kamble: Yes, and you will hear from us soon. Prepare to be surprised. 

In India, international network names are meaningless. I even think Ogilvy India would be bigger if it were renamed Piyush Pandey Advertising.

Raj Kamble

Which creative advertising business seems most promising to you? Content, tech-led advances, or something else? 

Chaurasia: We think powerful insights and lasting ideas make brands and people 'famous'. Tech-led innovations just deliver ideas in new media. Like old TV or radio. So you might say content, but not in its narrow sense. Communication that appeals to customer emotions or motivations will resonate. How to deliver it creatively is the job. As 'Innovations', we've been attempting to provide for 11 years. As a tech product or a newspaper ad. The first time approach to innovation always works. In conclusion, creativity captures, while solid truths establish fame. 

I propose paying the client Rs 5 lakh to pitch for the account. Just have the CEO and CMO attend the meeting and give us their time. I don't think clients should sell their time for cheap like agencies do. 

Raj Kamble

Pitch fees—how do you think clients and agencies need to reimagine pitches?

Kamble: I have two models in mind: 

Any company interested in working with us should spend a half-day with us. We'll waive pitch fees. Discuss your brief with our creative folk, planners, and strategists. We can brainstorm and jam.

If our vibe matches, choose us and we'll choose you.    

Now, this one is a crazy idea. 

The problem with pitches arises when brands arbitrarily phone 7-8 agencies. Junior executives are usually assigned to shortlist agencies to “learn” from pitch evaluations. 

A brand requests a pitch, and we work day and night to create the greatest proposal. Pitch time and effort cost Rs 5-10 lakh. The junior executive tells their boss agencies 3, 7, and 9 are good. The brand selects them for the following round. 

I dislike being numbered. 

I propose paying the client Rs 5 lakh to pitch for the account. Just have the CEO and CMO attend the meeting and give us their time. I don't think clients should sell their time for cheap like agencies do. 

I think Rs 5 lakh of investment will boost business if top leadership of a brand meets us. Not having the correct person in the room wastes my pitchwork.